One aspect of the painting pail system according to the present invention is to provide a stable mounting system to securely mount a paint bucket to a vertically spaced apart pair of rungs, for example on a ladder, so that the bucket, when heavy due to it carrying a paint load, remains stably supported and stably mounted to the rungs until the painter desires to re-fill the bucket or remove the entire pail system from the rungs. The present invention provides for ease of removing of the bucket from its suspension on its supports and for ease of re-securing the bucket back on its supports. The present invention also provides for ease of securing a bracing frame on which the bucket supports are mounted onto the rungs while also providing an easily releasable latching arrangement to provide for ease of removal of the bracing frame from the rungs.
In the prior art, applicant is aware of the following United States patents directed to devices which have attempted to address the problem of temporarily suspending a paint bucket from a ladder or the like:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,545,740 which issued Jul. 14, 1925, to Cowell for a Pot and Bucket Holder, provides an arm having a hook at one end for hooking over a ladder rung, and spur at its opposite end for suspending a pot by its bail.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,444,986, which issued Jul. 13, 1948, to Gebhardt for a Holder for Paint Buckets and the Like, discloses a hook for engaging a rung of a ladder where lower portion of the hook is twisted to extend flatly along the inside of a rail of the ladder. A U-shaped member is attached at one side of the lower portion of the hook. The U-shape member straddles the rail. A bar having a hook is mounted to the U-shape member. The hook engages the bail of a bucket.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,519,732 which issued Aug. 22, 1950, to Bartolat for a Bucket Holder, provides a hanger plate having a hook to engage the bail of a bucket. Another plate is slidably mounted on the hanger plate so that the plate may be slid to engage the bail in the hook. A hanger hook mounted above the hanger plate suspends the hanger plate from a rung or other object.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,541,390 which issued Feb. 13, 1951, to Weigand for a Receptacle Holder, provides for supporting a paint can upon a rung and rail of a ladder by the use of a heavy wire bent intermediate its ends to provide a horizontal handle. An upright brace depends from the handle. A socket member embraces a side rail of the ladder. A rest on the socket member engages a rung. A stabilizer on the brace embraces the side wall of the paint can. A hanger on the upright brace hooks the annular interior channel around the rim of the paint can.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,557,694 which issued Jun. 19, 1951, to Sagen for a Paint Bucket and Brush Holder, discloses a bar which engages the periphery of a bucket or pail vertically and clamps thereon. The bar extends upwardly and has bent portions forming open loops to engage the rung of a ladder.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,674,427 which issued Apr. 6, 1954, to Woodward et al. for a Paint Can Support for Ladders, discloses a hanger wherein each leg of the hanger has a downwardly opening slot for hooking over the rung of a ladder. A re-entrant tongue locks behind and beneath the rung.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,907,541, which issued Oct. 6, 1959, to Haislip for a Paint Pail and Brush Holder Attachment for Step Ladders, teaches a foldable support member in the form of an auxiliary extension type rail hingedly mounted on the upper portion of one of the rails of the ladder. Holders are slidably mounted on the extension rail. The extension rail is swung up to its useful position and pinned into place, or swung down into an out-of-the-way folded position. The hangers have hooks for engaging the bail or handle of a bucket or pail.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,094,304, which issued Jun. 18, 1963, to Linder for a Ladder Bracket with Paint Bucket Holder, teaches an elongated j-shaped bolt having a hook at its lower end to releasably engage over the bead on a paint bucket. An arm or limb is mounted to the bolt and has a hook at its upper end for engaging over the rung of a ladder.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,486, which issued Jan. 7, 1969, to Baker for a Ladder Bracket, discloses a horizontal arm cantilevered to either side of a ladder, and supported on the ladder by engagement of the arm with both a rung and a rail of the ladder. A ring is mounted on the arm to hold a bucket. The ring swivels to keep the bucket vertical.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,746, which issued May 12, 1981, to Klaiber for a Paint Brush, Pad and Roller Holder and Can Carrier, discloses an inclined support having a transverse shelf projecting from the lower end. The support is hooked onto a rung of the ladder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,034, which issued Feb. 10, 1998, to Unkefer for an Apparatus for Hanging a Bucket on a Ladder, teaches a hanger for suspending paint bucket from the rung of a ladder wherein the hanger has a hook at its upper end to suspend the hanger from the rung. A lower, upwardly turned hook is also provided from which the handle of a bucket is suspended. A support below the upwardly turned hook supports the side of the paint bucket.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,844 which issued Oct. 27, 1998, to Purdy for Bucket Brackets, discloses a U-shaped bracket shape to hold onto a rail of a ladder. A band may be attached to the bracket. The band may be adjustable in circumference.